020. Do you believe that the second coming of Christ is near at hand? If so, why? What shoul...

Do you believe that the second coming of Christ is near at hand? If so, why? What should we do to prepare for Him? As far as I know, our Lord may return again any day. There is no event predicted in Scripture that must occur before Jesus comes to receive His own to Himself, although it seems as if there are some events that must occur before He comes to the earth with His saints (2 Thessalonians 2:2-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:8). As far as we know He may come for us believers at any moment, and He Himself had bidden us to be always ready because in such an hour as we think not He is coming again (Matthew 24:44).

Furthermore, there seem to be indications that His coming is near. 2 Timothy 3 :f-5 gives a very accurate description of our own time. The increase of unbelief in the professing church and in the pidpit, the growing unrest in the social and political world, the apparently rapid development of the Antichrist—all these things seem to point to the near approach of our Lord. But we should bear in mind that earnest men of God and students of the Bible have often thought in times past that the coming of the Lord was very near, and it was, and they were not mistaken. Those that thought it was so far away that they allowed it to have no effect upon their lives were the ones who were really mistaken.

Today men’s hearts are “failing them for fear” and “for expectation of things which are coming on the world” (Luke 21:26, R.V.). But when the true believer and intelligent student of the Word sees these things begin to come to pass he will not be discouraged, but will look up and lift up his head because he knows that his redemption draweth nigh (Luke 21:28). We should all let our loins be girded about and our lights be burning, and we should be like unto men that wait for their lord when he returns from the wedding, that when He does come and knock we may open unto Him immediately (Luke 12:35-36).